Learned societies and academies unanimous in condemnation of Russia’s invasion of the country
Support has poured in for embattled Ukraine from all corners of the UK’s research community following Russia’s invasion of the country.
As the war continues for a second week, a number of the UK’s learned societies and national academies issued statements condemning the attack.
On 2 March, the Royal Society, together with academies from the G7 states, issued a joint statement describing the attack as a “blatant violation of international law and of core values of humanity”.
“We are determined to support the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,” they said. “We stand in solidarity with the scientific community and the scientists in Ukraine.”
The statement also acknowledged those Russian scientists and citizens “who are ashamed of this attack and speak out against the war”.
Solidarity with students and researchers
In a separate statement, the British Academy’s president, Julia Black, said the academy stood “in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its community of students and researchers experiencing this attack on their human rights, democracy and freedom”.
“We send out support and friendship at this time to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and to all those Ukrainian students, academics and university staff for whom the safety to learn, teach and research is no longer guaranteed,” she said.
“We will continue to stand up for academic freedom and acknowledge the courage that many Russian researchers are showing in speaking out against this invasion.”
Meanwhile, the Royal Society of Chemistry said the war meant that “both Ukrainian and Russian scientists are prevented from playing their full role in the global scientific collaboration and innovation that leads to a better world”.
The learned society added that it had reached out to members of its community from Ukraine and would continue to offer support to them through the Chemists’ Community Fund, which offers financial support to struggling members.
Elsewhere, the Royal Society of Biology said that while the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine was primary, “we also decry the situation in which science knowledge cannot be peacefully pursued and used for good”.
“We call for, and hope for, an immediate end to the immense suffering being caused by the attacks.”
Expertise and resources
The learned societies’ words were echoed by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, which said it would “continue to explore practical and meaningful ways to help people affected, and will use our expertise and resources to do so”.
“This will be in both the short and long term,” the institute added, “as the effects of what we are witnessing now will be felt into the future.”
The comments come after the European umbrella group of national academies of sciences and humanities, Allea, suspended its Russian and Belarusian members as a signal of the “moral outrage of the academic community” over the invasion.
Meanwhile, the researcher association EuroScience has called on its members “to distinguish clearly between the lives and accomplishments of colleagues working in the Russian Federation and the inexcusable military action and policies of the Russian government”.
Similarly, the Cesaer association of European universities said: “We also commend the bravery of Russian academics…who are expressing their opposition to war.”
A day earlier, the European University Association called on its members to “ensure on a case-by-case basis that the continuation of existing collaborations is appropriate”, as it announced that it was ceasing collaboration with Russian government agencies and said it would “reiterate to the leaders of Russian members of EUA…core European values”.